Wednesday, July 1, 2009

I love paint. I love the paint store. I carry my trusty Sherwin Williams fan deck with me almost everywhere I go. I have about 50 paint strips crammed into my purse. I have a collage (on pink paper, much to my husband's horror) of the colors I want to use in the house.

Yes, it's possible I'm overthinking it. No, I don't have a super open floor plan. But dammit, I want the house to flow. Or maybe I just want to feel productive and actually pick something out, since my stupid tires and power steering and family visits and my upcoming birthday (okay, those last two things? awesome, but still) seem to be aligning to ensure that we get NOTHING done on the house. You know what we've done since we changed out the bathroom showerhead (Yes, I said WE Brett, whatcha gonna do about it? I stood there and handed you stuff!) Mowed the lawn. Once. We cleaned a little. But that's it. We've been here three months and one room (and one of the smallest rooms in the house) is painted. At this rate we'll be done painting in 2057. So this is for you Brett: Let's get our asses into gear! Hell, I'll forgo a fancy birthday present for a couple gallons of paint for the bedroom.

Anyway, back to paint. I had a color scheme all picked out. Burlap, Mossy Gold, Halcyon Green, Window Pane. Don't they all sound so beautiful? So I had a little doubt there in the back of my mind. Do you really want the same colors in your house as your mom's (and your aunt's)? Not to mention Brett totally dismissed the Halcyon Green as "too trendy" and told me I'd hate it in six months.

There was a lot of whining and gnashing of teeth. There was the suggestion (the suggester will remain anonymous for his/her own protection) to choose a color kind of close to Halcyon to appease the hubby and just paint it Halcyon and never tell Brett. There was a lot of trying to find other colors that I loved just as much, that were the perfect gray/green/blue and all of them falling short of the gloriousness that is Halcyon.

Then, I went home for Father's Day. And I walked into my brother's room (halcyon, natch). And it was blue. Like, really, really blue. And green. And barely gray at all. And suddenly I didn't like it anymore. Won't like it anymore after six months? Try six minutes. Yeah, it's pretty but it's waaaaay too bright. It's not the calm, serene, chill color we're looking for for the master bedroom. And of course changing that color meant changing every single freaking color in the house. Except the bathroom. We're not repainting the damn bathroom.

So if I've got one bit of paint advice, look at a room actually painted that color first. I should have learned this when my parents were building their house. I picked a nice, bright yellow green called frolic off of the paint swatch. And it turned out to be highlighter yellow. Seriously, the room glowed in the dark. If you don't have the opportunity to see your colors in person, take advantages of those little sample pots all the major brands are offering these days. And paint a big honkin' swatch on your wall. Actually, do this regardless, because colors change with light. You'll never regret the weeks (months? you spend with varying shades of gray on your bedroom walls, trust me.

But now, I think I've decided on the color scheme. This is the one I love so much I made a collage out of. And a little paint graphic. And I gaze at it lovingly almost every day. It's similar to the old one. But the blues are a little bit grayer. The neutrals are a little less green. And the powder room is now my lovely plum. That powder room is mine, baby, and it will be dark purple if I want it to be. Here it is, our new house. Coming in summer 2057.

About Me

I'm a do-it-yourselfer on a budget, and I love learning how to take on projects in my house! I love gray, vintage furniture, and sewing things out of graphic prints. Watch me laugh and learn about first time home-onwership!